There are plenty of visits that go on between the British Royal Family and other European royal families behind the scenes. I think the British Royals are a little less 'showy' than perhaps the other royal families when it comes to their relations with their extend royal family. I don't mean that in a negative way but the British Royals don't seem to like publicity and view these meeting as private occasions. It's know for instance that Queen Beatrix was staying at Balmoral the night Diana died. Queen Margrethe is a frequent visitor of Prince Charles at Highgrove. And the King and Queen of Norway are very popular British royal circles in fact I believe that Queen Elizabeth II has a very soft spot for Queen Sonja. There's a picture of Queen Sonja and Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to Windsor Castle and Queen Elizabeth II gives Queen Sonja a big hug...the Queen doesn't hug many people...I'm going to see if I can find it.

I don't want to go off topic but I've never ever heard that Queen Beatrix was at Balmoral when diana died. It strikes me as odd that its not more well known if its true given the intense interest and conspiracy theories around Diana's death.

Oh,Camilla is wearing one of my favorite dresses of hers - though nothing can beat the purple Norway dress. ( Edit- after a better look she is not wearing one of my favorites!)
Love Silvia's dress as well!

...but where did you see it?
Don't know whether Camilla's velvet layers are meant to be in Victorian or Tudor style, I only know they're unfortunate.

If the label 'private' for the Drottningholm Palace dinner is taken seriously, I fear that these covered-up pics from the tour through the Palace Theatre, a UNESCO World heritage site, might be the only photos from tonight.

I have heard that many of the European royals are in London quite often to shop. They're able to wander around in relative anonymity; very few British people would know who they are. I remember seeing pictures from the end of last year of Queen Sofia of Spain wandering round John Lewis (I think) and none of the shoppers paid her any attention, apart obviously from the Spanish pap who took a couple of snaps of her.

They can probably drop into BP or Clarence House quietly for a cup of tea or a meal when they're over.

The Duchess looked quite nice this evening though I think a floor length evening dress would have been more appropriate and I'm not really admiring the velvet evening jacket thought it does work with the esemble.

The Operatic evening cloack with fuschia inlay is divine, and the evening dress itself, perfectly demure. I adore the exposed white ruffs of what appear to be either chiffon or silk. Quite dramatic, and thus an apt choice.